Abraham Lincoln Monument, (sculpture).

Abraham Lincoln Monument, (sculpture).

Gruenfeld, Charles, sculptor.

Bisson, Peter, fabricator.

Brittain, Fred, contractor.

Spear, Clyde, fabricator.

Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907, sculptor. (copy after)

Raymond Stone Company, fabricator.

Abraham Lincoln Monument, (sculpture).

Begun March 12, 1906. Dedicated July 3, 1915.

Sculpture: California granite; Base: granite.

Sculpture: approx. H. 7 ft.; Base: approx. 6 x 3 x 3 ft. (2,400 lbs.)

(On front of base:) OLD GLORY/LET US HAVE PEACE/1861-1865/DEDICATED TO THE VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR (On north face of base:) GRANT, SHERMAN/SHERIDAN/SHILOH/WILDERNESS, LOOKOUT MT./APPOMATOX (On south face of base:) G.A.R./THOMAS/HANCOCK, FARRAGUT/DONELSON, VICKSBURG,/FORT SUMTER, PETERSBURG. (On west face of base:) MEADE/LOGAN, HOOKER/ANTIETAM, STONE RIVER/GETTYSBURG, CHICKAMAUGA unsigned

Full-length figure of Abraham Lincoln. He wears a suit and long jacket. His proper left hand grasps the lapel of his coat. His proper right hand is held behind his back; the fingers held in an open fist. A short column, or pedestal with a scroll on top, stands to his proper left. The granite sculpture stands atop a square pedestal topped with a crenellated capital decorated with relief stars. Each face of the pedestal is decorated with a Civil War scene etched into the surface. On the front face is the American flag flying on a flagpole. On the proper right side is a G.A.R. medal above two crossed American flags. On the proper left side is an artillery gun with a stack of cannonballs in front of it. To the left of the gun is a tree and in the background are rolling hills. The etching on the back depicts three rifles standing to form a tripod. A satchel and a canteen hang from the rifles. A book lies on the ground between the guns. The pedestal ends in a series of three steps. The outer face of the bottom two steps are rough-hewn.

History -- United States -- Civil War

Portrait male -- Lincoln, Abraham -- Full length

Occupation -- Political -- President

Occupation -- Law -- Lawyer

Object -- Other -- Flag

Object -- Weapon -- Gun

Object -- Weapon -- Cannon

Outdoor Sculpture -- California -- Long Beach

Administered by City of Long Beach, Engineering Bureau, Department of Public Works, City Hall, 333 West Ocean, Long Beach, California 90802

Located Civic Center Plaza, East entrance, Pacific Avenue at First Street, Long Beach, California

The sculpture is a replica of the Saint-Gaudens sculptures located at Gettysburg and Lincoln Park in Chicago. Gruenfeld created a plaster-of-paris model of the sculpture based on pictures of the Saint-Gaudens sculpture. Bisson fabricated the sculpture based on Gruenfeld's model. Brittain acted as local contractor for the project. Spear, staff artist at Raymond Stone Company, copied the various Civil War scenes depicted on the base from authentic war photographs. The sculpture was funded by a $1,000 allocation from the state with additional funds donated by the city of Long Beach. Further funding was raised through public donation. The sculpture was installed in Pacific Ocean Park. The name of the park was changed in 1920 to Lincoln Park. The sculpture was relocated in 1962 due to construction work. It was relocated again in 1973 to the city storage yard due to construction of a new Civic Center. In 1977 the sculpture was installed on the terrace above the new library building. On Oct. 6, 1982 it was relocated to the Civic Center entrance. IAS files contain copies of related excerpt from "Los Angeles: a Guide to the City and its Environs", 2nd ed., New York: Hastings House, 1951, pg. 254; and related articles from the Press-Telegram, Sept. 25, 1982 and the Historical Society of Long Beach, March 1989.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, California survey, 1994.

Glenn Wharton and Associates, Inc., 1998.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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